Kiddie Soiree: Detective Birthday Party

A friend of mine recently hosted a charming detective themed birthday party for her five-year-old son that highlighted his smart and cunning personality. She put great attention into the little details, but managed to keep the budget tight and the attitude light. The fete was held at a local park (she lives in very sunny Long Beach, CA), where she and her husband set up a fake crime scene mapped out by caution tape and a Nerf gun shooting range. Partygoers were led by adults through the course and encouraged to search for hidden clues that lead up to a rented jumper house. When detectives grew tired of their "work" they had the entire park to explore. Check out this slideshow for tips on how to copy this simple kiddie soiree theme.

Every Detective Needs a Badge

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Make each invitee a special badge with their name (you can fill it in with permanent marker on the day of), ID number and a cute image. The ones in this picture were created in Word using a clip art image, printed and put in badge protectors found at an office supply store. The badges will make little detectives feel official and will help parents keep track of the many lil ones.

Go Simple With Favors

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Favors should match the theme of the party, so consider giving detectives a mini flashlight, latex gloves, handcuff keys, and a notepad and pencil for crime scene notes when they arrive.

Each detective will use the latex gloves (you can buy a pack of a couple hundred from the hardware or drug store), dark glasses (sold in bulk at the party store) and a paper bag to collect evidence (in this case candy gold spread throughout the "crime scene").

Create a Target Practice Station

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Detectives need to be sharp shooters. Create a target (these were homemade by the party boy on thick poster board) and let detectives shoot off a couple of rounds with a Nerf gun before they survey the crime scene.

Crime Scene Investigation

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Set up a simple crime scene at the park. A nonviolent offense like a bank robbery is probably most appropriate. At this party, Crime Scene Investigators picked up chocolate gold coins throughout a course at the park.

Set Your Perimeter

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Decorate the perimeter of the party with caution tape (you can find it at most party supply or hardware stores). It will keep wee detectives in one area of the park or backyard.

Plan Backup!

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The final clues led detectives to a rented jumper house, which provided hours of pre-cake entertainment.

Detectives Love Donuts!

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Instead of a cake, opt for a tower of delicious donuts for your detectives. They are easy to serve (no plates! no forks!) and less of a mess (no frosting!). If you pre-order donuts from your local bakery, you can suggest special sprinkle colors to match your party's theme.